The 11-15-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star by The Heights Leader and Fort Bend Star

2023

READERS’ CHOICE

The Reid Feed: Live painting comes to Fort Bend - Page 3

281.690.4200 WEDNESDAY • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Stafford council broaches considering property tax By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Stafford City Council last week stepped on what has long been regarded as the “third rail” of Stafford politics, broaching on the idea of instituting a property tax in the city for the first time in nearly three decades. Stafford, under thenMayor Leonard Scarcella, abolished property taxes in 1995 and has long marketed itself as one of the few, if not only, municipalities in Texas without such a tax. Since then, the seven-square mile city directly abutting the City of Houston has relied almost entirely on sales taxes to collect revenues. But in recent years, some residents and members of City Council have, somewhat tentatively, suggested that the city’s infrastructure and services have suffered from the constraint on revenues that the lack of a property tax entails. Scarcella, who died in 2020 after serving as mayor since 1969 (making him the longest-serving mayor in the country) had been the prime mover of the abolishment of a sales tax, a policy that was championed by his immediate successor, Cecil Willis. In last spring’s mayor and City Council races, most candidates campaigned on platforms of either sticking with the no property tax policy or somewhat gently suggesting that it was something that ought to be given a fresh look. Willis, who had been elected in a special election following Scarcella’s death, ultimately lost in a runoff to Ken Mathew. During the campaign, Mathew said he was not unopposed to reconsidering a property tax but thought the city should focus its efforts on attracting new retail establishments. In last week’s specially called City Council meeting, Position 2 Council member Virginia Rosas (who won her seat in May after having previously served on the council), put a public hearing on the possibility

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Fort Bend voters approve $865.6 in bond measures

By Ken Fountain

KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Fort Bend County voters on November 7 approved two bond measures totaling $865.6 million for mobility and projects, concluding weeks of backand-forth arguments about how much the bonds would impact taxpayers. In still-unofficial results, Proposition A, which includes $712.6 million for 98 mobility projects

throughout the county, passed with 52,220 votes for and 28,900 against, or 64.37 percent to 36.63 percent. The results for Proposition B, which includes $153 million for parks projects, were closer, with 41,318 votes for and 38,797 votes against, or 51.57 percent to 48.43 percent. The combined bond proposals are the largest in the county’s history. After the election,

Fort Bend County Judge KP George told the Fort Bend Star that the results showed that voters were able to discern the truth about the proposals amidst some heated discussion in social media and other channels about how the bond proposals would ultimately impact taxpayers. George said the results indicate Fort Bend County residents recognize the need for enhanced infrastructure and amenities in

one of the fastest-growing counties in both Texas and the nation. In other big-ticket elections, Fort Bend Independent School District’s voter-approved tax rate elections passed with 26,307 votes for and 19,883 votes against, or 56.95 percent to 43.05. That came after the district’s unsuccessful VATRE a year ago and a successful bond election in May. District officials said

the additional funds derived from the new tax rate will largely go toward increasing the salaries of qualified employees, and in particular will help the district attract and retain high-quality teachers in a competitive labor market. Similarly, Stafford Municipal School District’s VATRE, the first in the district’s history, passed

SEE VOTERS PAGE 2

Paying homage

Sahdeed Amusa of and his daughters Salma, 7, and Sameera, 4, take in the 1,000 flags placed by The Exchange Club of Sugar Land at the University of Sugar Land campus Nov. 10-12 to mark Veterans Day. Each flag had a veteran’s name affixed to it. Asuma, originally from Nigeria, now lives in Rosenberg and is a U.S. citizen. Photo by Ken Fountain

Sugar Land seeks charter review commission applicants through Dec. 1 The Sugar Land City Council is accepting applications for a Charter Review Commission through December 1 at 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed to review Sugar Land’s charter, a document that provides the foundation for governance in Sugar Land. Individuals who would like to serve on the Charter Review Commission should fill out an application on the city’s website

at www.sugarlandtx.gov/ charterreview. In 1981, Sugar Land citizens voted to adopt the city’s first home-rule charter. By converting from a general-law city to a home-rule city, citizens chose to exercise their right under the Texas Constitution to make local laws to govern their own affairs. The charter is the city’s “constitution” and cannot be amended except by ap-

proval of the voters and not more than every two years. The charter is a document that establishes the form of government for Sugar Land. This includes provisions for a council-manager form of government, legislative authority of City Council, general elections provisions, finance provisions and several other areas outlining the governance of Sugar Land. The Fort Bend County voters on Tuesday approved two bond measures charter is available online at totaling $865.6 million for mobility and projects. www.sugarlandtx.gov/charter. Photo by Ken Fountain

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Paired with our calendar of Holiday Events and Santa Sightings in and around the community! Elf Hotline:

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THE STAR

PAGE 2 • Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Fort Bend County Master Gardeners to host webinar on winter plant protection Fort Bend County Master Gardeners will offer a free online class called “Winter Protection,” designed to help gardeners protect their plants against freezing temperatures, on Friday, November 17, beginning at 2 p.m. The 90-minute class is part of the “Landscape Success” series and will be taught by Deborah Birge, who has been a Master Gardener for more than 20 years. Register at https://us06web.

BROACHES FROM PAGE 1

of instituting a sales tax on the agenda, citing the city’s longstanding budgetary issues that required the Council to draw from the city’s fund balance by $2.5 million in order to pass its recently passed $35 million fiscal year 2024 budget. “We are now at a point with the city budget that we can’t continue to run the city with the sales tax that we’re collecting,” Rosas said in her opening remarks of the meeting. She cited the council’s recent decision to draw funds from the fund balance to pay for recurring expenses. “We’re going to be in the same situation again next year because we’re only bringing in a certain amount of money she said. She said she wanted to hear from the public about what their appetite for a property tax might be, and how such a tax should be targeted.

zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZAvdeuhqzkrEtb0FTeD0pyOMtgPMwGcM91R#/ registration. Registrants will

receive a link to connect to the class. Visit https://fbmg. org/landscape-success-2023/ for more information.

Position 6 Council member Tim Woods, who won election in May on a “zero property tax” platform, said that he is now reconsidering that stance. “It’s not a flip-flop. It’s looking at the actual data,” said Wood, who noted that as a Stafford Municipal School District teacher, a property tax would be detrimental his own personal bottom line. “At some point, we have to understand that the answer can’t always be ‘no’ when the needs are legitimate.” The 1990s, when Stafford had a high ratio of retail establishments to residential property, was a time when the abolishment of a sales tax made sense, Wood said. “But the times have changed” in the light of fewer brick-andmortar retail stores in an era of online-driven retail, he added. “I wish there was a better way, but I don’t see it,” he said. Position 1 Council member Alice Chen and Position 3 Council mem-

ber William Bostic, one of the youngest members of the body, were the members most vocal against a property tax because it would fall most heavily on younger property owners, since those over 65 (who make up a disproportionate portion of the city’s residents) would be exempt under state law. Chen said the idea had to be studied very carefully. Bostic, one of the youngest members of the council who originally campaigned against a property tax, said that he was frustrated that some of his colleagues seemed to be reneging on their similar pledges. “I’m doubling on my stance,” he said. “I’m 100 percent adamant on no property tax in Stafford.” Several Stafford residents spoke on the issue, almost all of whom opposed any idea of a property tax. A sales tax would have to be approved by voters, the earliest date for which would be in November 2024.

F O R T B E N D S TA R . C O M

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VOTERS FROM PAGE 1

with 579 votes for and 461 votes against, or 55.67 percent to 44.33 percent. The measure will add 12 cents to the ad valorum tax rate. District officials said the measure was necessary because of increased costs to the district from inflation, recapture due to increased property value, and unexpected expenses as a result of COVID 19.

“We were truly hoping for a different outcome. Last year, we made plans to adjust this year’s budget to fund the cost of the turf replacement, but the repairs needed at Traylor Stadium are significant, and this is going to be a challenge,” Nivens said in a press release. Look for detailed coverage including reactions from officials in the Fort Bend Star. Find the full election results at fortbendcountytx.gov.

Voters rejected Lamar Consolidated Independent School District’s $15 million bond election for capital improvements, targeted at making renovations and improvements to Guy K. Traylor Stadium. There were 10,660 votes against and 8,775 votes for, or 54.85 percent to 45.15 percent. Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens has said the stadium, built in the early 1960s, is in dire need of structural repairs to make it safe.

Fort Bend County voters on November 7 approved two bond measures totaling $865.6 million for mobility and projects. Photo by Ken Fountain

FBCL sustainability club to meet online on Nov. 20 Staff Reports Fort Bend County Libraries’ “Living Sustainably Club” will meet online on Monday, November 20, from 6-7 p.m. The topic for the month will be “Living Sustainably 101.” FBCL’s Living Sustainably Club programs are livestreamed through Webex so that participants can participate virtually and interact with others in real time. This monthly club is an online one by choice -- a conscious effort to minimize the carbon footprint by reducing the use of fossil fuels. In the November meeting, attendees will learn about things one can do to use less resources, create less waste, reduce excessive consumption, and help the ecosystem. Free and open to the public, the Living Sustainably Club meets online on the third Monday of every month. Each month, different topics will focus on

EUROFINS XENCO LLC. seeks an Analytical Chemist in Stafford, TX to Anlyz smpls frm diff matrix, to prvd info on compounds/ quantities of compounds prsnt, accrd to EPA, ASTM & Stnd Mthds. To apply, pls send cvr lttr & CV to elwood.brandt@pss.eurofinsus.com. Ref# v6p

COMMUNITY EVENT? Check out community calendar

discussing, educating, and demonstrating how everyone -- from individuals to businesses -- can live sustainably within a budget. Registration is required; a link to the Webex teleconference will be emailed to all who register. To register on-

line at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling FBCL’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

Contact Anqunette Williams to participate in this special section

713-371-3740

awilliams@txstreetmedia.com NOTICE TO CREDITORS Notice is hereby given that the original letters testamentary for the estate of BETTY G. MORTON, Deceased, was issued on November 13, 2023, in Docket No. 23-CPR-039962 pending in County Court No. 3 of Fort Bend County, Texas to CYNTHIA GAIL MORTON HULL. The residence of the independent executrix is in Fort Bend County, Texas. The mailing address is 5400 Manor Dr., Sugar Land, TX 77479. All persons having claims against this estate which is currently being administered are required to present them within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. DATED THIS 13th DAY OF November, 2023. ____________________________________ WYATT D. LOVE State Bar # 24107849 Attorney for Estate 14141 S. Wayside Dr. Houston, TX 77048 281-728-5690 | 713-644-9830 (facsimile)

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS The Financial Integrity Rating for Fort Bend Independent School District 5:30 P.M. on December 4, 2023 In the Board Room of the FBISD Administration Building 16431 Lexington Blvd. ♦ Sugar Land The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Fort Bend ISD’s rating on the Financial Integrity System Rating (FIRST) Public Encouraged to Attend

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Wednesday, November 15, 2023 • PAGE 3

The Reid Feed: Live painting comes to Fort Bend Janet Sue

Ryan Lee

Art and Culture Columnists

By Ryan Lee Reid and Janet Sue Reid Editor’s note: This week we introduce “The Reid Feed,” a Fort Bend County arts and culture column. Ryan Lee Reid, “The Piano Cowboy”, and Janet Sue Reid, “The Culinary Cowgirl”, are artists and creators. They transform space and time to move and heal people through art. They live in Sugar Land with their children. Find their full bios and contact them through ReidFeed.com. Kristine Huete grew up in Houston and began her artistic career at a very young age when she painted her first landscape at age 8. Noticing a real blossoming talent, her father decided to enroll her formally in lessons with a local artist of some acclaim. The artist was Viruchy del Gado Giambi, and she would become Huete’s lifelong mentor. It was Giambi who helped her assemble the portfolio that would gain her admission to Houston’s prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Recalling the rigorousness of the program, Huete maintains that it really helped her grow as an artist. It’s there she fell in love with the works of Vincent van Gogh, Willem de Kooning, and Helen Frankenhaler, creating deep wells of inspiration to draw from. Upon graduating from HSPVA in 2004, she received scholarship opportunities from some of the top arts programs in the country including Pratt, RISD, and Brown. However, it was her love of landscape painting that led her to attend the California College for the Arts, graduating with a BFA in Painting in 2008. “Growing up my strongest memories of childhood were of my country house and the majestic beauty of its landscapes,” she lamented. “There is something about the coziness of natural elements like nature and rain in landscapes that I’m drawn to.” In Huete’s artistic endeavors today, coziness is the theme that ties her artwork of various styles together. Slinging, pouring, brushing paint on the canvas are but a few of her techniques she uses to illustrate the love, kindness, and safety that are at the core of coziness. “I don’t like negative, I like positive themes, I want the viewer to be cozy,” she remarks while sitting on a bench outside the Stafford Center. She is about to paint live for the Fort Bend Junior Service League’s Sugar

Artist Kristine Huete and "The Reed Feed" writer Ryan Lee Reid at Fort Bend Junior Service League’s Sugar Plum Market Preview Night at the Stafford Center. Photos by Janet Sue Reid

Plum Market. in a couple of hours. The event itself has raised over $3.7 million, benefiting many local Fort Bend County charities. Huete will have a personal hand in this since she is donating the proceeds of one of her live paintings to the Fort Bend Junior Service League. This is not uncommon for her - lately she has been taking her talents to the Fort Bend area, impressed by its burgeoning art scene and diversity. Live painting is an artistic area that Huete is currently making one of her main focuses. So far she’s painted on downtown Houston’s Main Street, Dean’s Clothing Store, for various civic organizations, and currently at the Stafford Center for Performing Arts Theatre. “Well, I can tell you one thing, I have never liked to be viewed and watched while I paint, so I broke all of my rules to paint live,” she says. It’s dealing with the judgments of the “Spectators’ Gaze” as she calls it that becomes the most distracting. However, “This is where artistic growth truly thrives, and deep focus and concentration is cultivated,” she contends. Painting barefoot and in a ballroom gown she got at a steal at Ross, she cuts quite a figure as she becomes more covered in paint as the night wears on. Huete is becoming an extension of the canvas. Consumed in her process, you definitely wouldn’t think the ‘’Spectator’s Gaze’’ was bothering her as she fran-

tically brushes paint back and forth on the bottom half of the canvas. For the viewer the liveness pulls back the curtain on the artist’s process for all to see. The liveness creates a more improvisatory feel instead of the usual static nature when one witnesses a finished painting, unable to glean the artistic process. On this particular day Huete’s process of creating a sense of coziness on the canvas is attained through a beautifully lit sky centered above a thick bed of reeds below. One might assume that these reeds are providing a safe cover for an array of animals, which also feature prominently in the artist’s ethos, currently caring for many rabbits and animals of her own. It’s this caring, loving, imaginative ethos that transfers from the canvas to her real-life endeavors to better her community using her artistic sensibility. As an artist, Huete believes wholeheartedly that it’s the artist’s job to give back to the community. She has donated several of her pieces to various Harris County and Fort Bend charitable causes supporting children’s wellbeing, homeless pets, Future Farmers of America, and now the Fort Bend Junior Service League. She plans to increase her artistic footprint in Fort Bend, hoping to expand the arts scene and the imagination of our great community. For more information visit Kristine Huete Art Gallery at kristinehuete.com.

Artist Kristine Huete displays two of her paintings during the Fort Bend Junior Service League’s Sugar Plum Market Preview Night at the Stafford Center. Photos by Janet Sue Reid

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PAGE 4 • Wednesday, November 15, 2023

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Fort Bend County Libraries’ Book Festival to feature Hispanic flair Staff Reports

Leading Tejano author Rubén Degollado will be the keynote speaker at Fort Bend County Libraries’ annual Book Festival, being held Nov. 18 at the George Memorial Branch in Richmond. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

This year’s Fort Bend County Libraries’ annual Book Festival, taking place on Saturday, November 18, will have a Hispanic flair, featuring a leading Tejano author, a performance by a local dance troupe, and a presentation on Latin American cuisine, in addition to a special line-up of writing workshops. Featured author Rubén Degollado will be the special

guest speaker at the annual Book Festival, which will be take place on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond. Degollado’s keynote address will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m., in the Meeting Room of the library. He will read an excerpt from his novel, “The Family Izquierdo,” FBCL’s 2023 “Community Reads” selection. Released in September 2022, the novel weaves together the lives of three generations of a tight-knit Tejano family bound by love and a curse. Degollado will discuss how the development of his characters’ unique voices and experiences helps to immerse readers in a specific culture and enables them to understand universal truths, widening their view of the world. Degollado is a longtime educator who lives and writes in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. His fiction has appeared or been featured in Texas Highways, Literary Hub, Bilingual Review/Revista Bilingüe,

Beloit Fiction Journal, and elsewhere. His first novel, “Throw”, won the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult book for 2020. “The Family Izquierdo” is a PEN/Faulkner nominee, a Texas Institute of Letters and Writers League of Texas Fiction finalist, and is a long-list title for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. The Book Festival will also feature several workshops designed to encourage aspiring writers of all ages and genres. Creative and inspiring programs are planned for children as well as adults who dream of becoming published authors. Readers will also have an opportunity to visit with local authors at a meetand-greet area throughout the event. From 10:30-11:30 a.m., children’s author and creative-writing teacher Valerie Sweeten will present “Exploring Your World: A Kids’ Writing Workshop” for youth in grades 2-5. Children are encouraged to explore their creative side through writing. This

program will be presented in Room 2A of the library. Also from 10:30 -11:30 a.m., Biblioboard representative Emily Gooding will present “Publish for Free with Your Library Card” in the Computer Lab. Budding writers will learn how to use the free services provided through FBCL’s Online Writers’ Corner -- including Biblioboard Library, the Indie Author Project, and Pressbooks – to get published. A performance by Ballet Folklorico Herencia Mexicana de Houston will take place in the Jodie E. Stavinoha Amphitheater from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Visitors will be treated to music, dancing, and vibrant costumes from the Huasteca region of Mexico, along with the state of Jalisco. Food trucks will be on hand, and visitors are invited to eat lunch while enjoying the shade of the outdoor amphitheater and the festive atmosphere of this exciting performance. Books by visiting authors will be raffled off during the lunch hour, as well!

Following the outdoor entertainment, visitors may return inside for additional presentations or meet some of the local authors who will be on hand for book signings throughout the event. Guest authors -- representing children’s, Young Adult, and adult literature -- include Tonya Duncan Ellis, Raul Herrera, Saborna Roychowdhury, Sherrie Schmidt, Valerie Sweeten, and Robin Winckler. Aspiring writers are invited to attend a writing workshop, “From Idea to Completed Draft Fast,” from 1-2 p.m, in Room 2A. Local author Taki Zyngtara will provide tips on overcoming writer’s block, finding inspiration, and staying organized. A regular with the library’s Story Spinner’s Writing Club, Zyngtara has encouraged beginning writers for many years. “A Taste of Latin America” will be presented by Erica Knighton from the Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program, from 1-2 p.m., in the Meeting Room. Knighton will demonstrate the preparation of a dish

that celebrates and explores the flavors of Latin America. The Book Festival is free and open to the public. For more information, see Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734). The complete schedule of events can be found on the website or on the FBCL Facebook page. Participants may attend the whole day, or they can choose which individual sessions they would like to attend. The event is made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library. Visitors may browse through the Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale, which will take place at the front entrance of the library throughout the Book Festival. Cash and checks are welcome; credit cards cannot be accepted. Proceeds from the book sale provide funding for special adult and children’s programs, cultural events, and staff development and continuing-education programs for library employees.

Fort Bend Libraries to host senior legal needs program on Nov. 17 Staff Reports Fort Bend County Libraries’ University Branch Library will present “The Truth About Senior Legal Needs” – a program in the Senior Series for older adults and their family members -on Friday, November 17, from 10:30 a.m.-noon, in Meeting Room 1 of the library, 14010

University Blvd., on the UH Sugar Land campus. Liz McNeel, a senior realestate specialist and certified senior-housing professional, will be joined by a panel of experts who will explain the differences between trusts, wills, and legal guardianships. Attendees will learn what documents are necessary and most appropriate, how these

instruments work within the probate process, and how they can impact both the living and the deceased. Those attending should park inside the gated lot (VISITOR LOT 4). Bring the parking-ticket stub to the check-out desk inside the library to be validated by library staff. Parking is FREE if the ticket is validated by the library. Parking outside

the gated lot may result in a parking violation from the University of Houston. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), or call the University Branch Library (281-6335100) or the library system’s Communications Office (281633-4734).

FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES- GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2023 Data Control Codes 5700 5800 5900 5020

0011 0012 0013 0021 0023 0031 0032 0033 0034 0035 0036 0041 0051 0052 0053 0061 0071 0072 0073 0081 0093 0099 6030 1100 7901 7911 7912 7913 7915 7916 8911 8949 7080 1200 0100 3000

Debt Service Funds

General Fund Revenues Local and intermediate sources State program revenues Federal program revenues Total revenues Expenditures Current: Instruction Instructional resources and media services Curriculum and staff development Instructional leadership School leadership Guidance, counseling, and evaluation services Social work services Health services Student transportation Food service Extracurricular activities General administration Plant, maintenance and operations Security and monitoring services Data processing services Community services Debt Service: Principal on long-term debt Interest on long-term debt Bond issuance costs and fees Capital Outlay: Facilities acquisition and construction Intergovernmental: Payments related to shared services arrangements Payments for tax appraisal costs Total Expenditures

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over (under) expenditures Other Financing Sources (Uses) Refunding bonds issued Capital related debt issued Sale of real or personal property Proceeds from right to use leased assets Transfers in Premium or discount on issuance of bonds Transfers out Payment to refunding escrow agent Total other financing sources (uses) Net change in fund balances Fund Balances - Beginning Fund Balances - Ending

475,493,684 246,267,954 16,163,086 737,924,724

Non-major Governmental Funds

Capital Projects

148,084,173 3,814,259 151,898,432

865,009 865,009

Total Governmental Funds

21,242,936 5,834,360 104,724,829 131,802,125

645,685,802 255,916,573 120,887,915 1,022,490,290

421,218,019 8,405,680 13,565,737 19,506,301 50,927,915 38,982,395 2,940,420 8,985,930 24,608,087 40,091 17,538,328 19,620,190 78,388,505 10,424,454 16,879,381 940,627

28,699,302 46,211 43,842 20,559,546 850,112 1,648,023 -

59,679,576 224,610 8,693,082 1,930,283 256,819 4,027,504 333,516 2,107,051 563,559 33,684,695 7,229,993 110,749 483,300 282,094 134,052 1,126,682

509,596,897 8,630,290 22,258,819 21,436,584 51,184,734 43,009,899 3,273,936 11,092,981 25,171,646 33,770,997 24,812,163 19,730,939 99,431,351 11,556,660 18,661,456 2,067,309

4,821,755 -

69,245,000 54,166,614 1,477,563

672,652 -

74,739,407 54,166,614 1,477,563

80,223,436

284,163 5,173,622 743,251,600

124,889,177

132,743,124

282,644 121,150,209

566,807 5,173,622 1,122,034,110

(5,326,876)

27,009,255

(131,878,115)

10,651,916

(99,543,820)

318,864 3,790,219 2,659,000 (8,000,000) (1,231,917)

81,555,000 452,207 (81,555,000) 452,207

97,072,793 90,731 3,206,512 100,370,036

3,187 3,187

81,555,000 97,525,000 412,782 3,790,219 2,659,000 3,206,512 (8,000,000) (81,555,000) 99,593,513

(6,558,793)

27,461,462

(31,508,079)

10,655,103

49,693

206,778,954 200,220,161

114,308,380 141,769,842

38,716,040 7,207,961

20,559,233 31,214,336

380,362,607 380,412,300

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Wednesday, November 15, 2023 • PAGE 5

EDITORIAL Bordering on the ridiculous Lynn Ashby Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

ACKING MY BAGS – Winter is upon us and it’s snow time! I am getting ready to ski Texas. Just drive up I45 to Big D, take a left and go on to Aspen or Beaver Falls and never have to leave the state. Wait. This is an old map. No wonder it shows the Santa Fe Trail but doesn’t show Dallas. Alas, this map was drawn before the Big Texas Land Grab. If you just got off the United flight from Chicago, pilgrim, and wonder what happened to my map and why anyone would care, it all reflects Texans’ love of their history and all the colorful – some would say slimy and

disreputable – people and events which made the Lone Star State what it is today --- and quite probably why the results brought you here. So bear with us as we revisit one of the stranger events in our somewhat checkered past looking at this monumental mistake. When Texas became an independent country in 1836, its non- native population was estimated at 38,470. They could fit in NRG Stadium. Counting the American Indians – as they were called before they morphed into Indigenous People, Victims of the Round Eyes Treachery or the We Got Here First Americans -- they were estimated at 14,200. Texas had not many people but lots and lots of public land -- 251,579,800 acres. Our Founding Fathers thought big. According to Copono Press, “The republic they defined encompassed the entire eastern half of what is now New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos.” The panhandle was a thin strip of land, a “stovepipe,” running north to the 42nd parallel -- up to what is now Carbon County, Wyoming. And where, ex-

actly, is the 42nd parallel? Today it is the borders between California and Oregon in the west, and between Pennsylvania and New York in the east. It runs through Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. According to Copono Press, Point Pelee, Ontario, is south of that border, so a part of Canada would be south of north Texas. Now we come to the Texas version of the Children’s Crusade Part I. To show the Lone Star Flag over that far land, in 1841 President Mirabeau B. Lamar formed the Santa Fe Expedition made up of traders, with $200,000 in goods, soldiers and a Mexican guide who deserted them. They arrived near Santa Fe where they expected to be greeted by eager business owners ready to trade. Instead, they were forced to surrender to Mexican officials and were taken in chains as prisoners to Mexico City, suffering mightily. That did not stop Texas visitors, although today relatively few are taken in chains to Mexico City prisons. Indeed, half of Houston and most of Dallas have summer homes in Santa Fe to avoid

the Texas heat. My mother had friends who said they stopped going to Santa Fe in the summer. One explained: “Every time I walked down the street, I’d meet people I knew from Dallas.” Maybe she owed them money. When joining the Union, Texas’ claim to such a vast wasteland was accepted by the feds in Washington, mainly because there was no there there except wild Indians, buffalo and ski bums. But soon things got sticky. The Mexican-American War established new boundaries, the whole free vs. slave argument came to the forefront, bills were introduced in Congress to split off the west part of Texas and make it a new state. When U.S. troops occupied Albuquerque, Southerners threatened to send their own soldiers. Then the discussion turned to that great common denominator: money. The Republic of Texas owned a huge amount of lands and retained them after Annexation. But it also owed a fortune to bond holders. So a deal was struck, the U.S. would buy the western third of Texas for $10 million. At the end of the republic, its

debt was officially estimated at $9,949,007, so Texas still had $50,993 left over. The northern border of today’s Texas was due to the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which said that states above that line would be free and those below it could be slave, so if Texas wanted to hold on to any land above the line, it would have to free its slaves. Texas preferred slaves to land. That resulted in the silly Oklahoma Panhandle – one of its three counties is named Texas (pop. 20,495). The entire deal was called the Compromise of 1850 and, thank goodness, it avoided North and South from ever having to go to war. This land deal is often compared to the Louisiana Purchase. That transaction involved 828,000 square miles for cash, forgiveness of loans and interest on other loans, for a total of $15 million or $250 million today. It came to a little less than three cents an acre. Now we have the Texas version of the Children’s Crusade, Part II: The Battle of Glorieta Pass. In March of 1862, a Texas force of 1,200 men invaded New Mexico

to take (or retake) the land. During the battle, Union troops slipped around the Texans and blew up their 80-wagon supply train. Most of their horses and mules were either killed or driven off. Out in the cold boonies of New Mexico with no tents, food or horses and pack mules, the Texans trudged back home. Even if we had held on to that chunk of land out west, we still would only be about half as big as Alaska, with its 424,409,000 acres. But think of the wide-open spaces, snow-capped mountains and vast miles of nothing that were, and still could be, a part of Texas. Without leaving the state, even with no passport, you could visit the home of the atomic bomb, Carlsbad Caverns, and those frozen vaults at Roswell where the government hides the bodies of Martians, but no casinos, if our forefathers hadn’t needed that pitiful $10 million. Today that will hardly rent a .300 hitting shortstop for the season. Guess I’ll unpack. Ashby sells Texas at ashby2@comcast.net

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Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNTY

METHODIST CHURCH

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602

A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rev. Dr. Daniel Irving, Senior Pastor Sunday Schedule 9:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 11:00 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org

605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195 502 Eldridge Rd. -Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org

Introduce Your Congregation to the Community with a listing in our Worship Directory

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen Higley, Preacher Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday 7:00 pm www.staffordcoc.com

Scripture of the week

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Call Anqunette for more information

713.371.3740

- ROMANS 12:12

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1. Blackbird (Scot.) 5. Part of (abbr.) 8. Large fish 11. Of urea 13. Mauna __, Hawaiian volcano 14. Organized crime head 15. Bird genus 16. Curve 17. Greek sophist 18. Thick river fish 20. Negative 21. Young woman (French) 22. Extra features 25. Luckily 30. Pounced 31. Congressman 32. 92543 33. Flemish names of Ypres 38. Spherical body 41. Imply 43. Popular zombie TV show 45. Drink 48. Used to have (Scottish) 49. Former hoopster Heard 50. California graffiti artist 55. Managed

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25. Follicle-stimulating hormone 26. An obligation to repay 27. Read-only memory 28. The lower end 29. Billy knew a girl from here 34. Not the beginning 35. He wrote ‘The Raven’ 36. When you’ll get there 37. Celtics legend Auerbach 39. Making fun of 40. Made dim 41. Heston character El __ 42. Small integers 44. Unarmed combat 45. Made of wood 46. Rex and Sorenson to name two 47. Affixes 48. Wife of Zeus 51. Swiss river 52. Prejudice 53. Actor Idris 54. Runnin’ __: UNLV nickname 58. Criticize

THE STAR

PAGE 6 • Wednesday, November 15, 2023

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Moving forward by stepping back Mark Garary Columnist

“This is where I went to school / Most of the time had better things to do / Criminal record says I broke in twice / I must have done it half a dozen times / Every memory of looking out the back door / I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor / It’s hard to say it, time to say it / Goodbye, goodbye” Nickelback, “Photograph”

ine years ago, a baseball phenom emerged from Missouri City. Tristan Gray graduated from Elkins High School with a .456 batting average his senior year. Instead of signing with the New York Mets, Gray opted to go to Rice University where he broke out his junior year and was named an all-star one summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He made his Major League debut September 16 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He’s already notched a homer in his two-month MLB career.

My son graduated with young Tristan back in 2014. They were good friends. And they will celebrate their 10-year reunion next year.

That prospect unintentionally prompted some compelling personal questions of me as of late. Six months ago, I received an invitation to my own 40th reunion. Now, I really was trying to avoid writing anything at all about this trip. I didn’t want to publicly excavate too much of my personal despair, and I wouldn’t feel too good about coming across as self-serving. Since the entire experience took me into unfamiliar flight paths, and because this is the best I could come up with this week, here goes. GETTING THERE I missed my departing flight. My daughter is very reliable, and also incredibly conscientious. Despite how much I admire her adherence to local speed zone requirements, I do sometimes wonder if we might drive even a little faster than 55 mph. Perhaps when we’re running late and the freeway traffic tends to be light at that early hour. Wasn’t her fault. We probably should have left earlier. I of course told her I loved her, but we didn’t hug goodbye because she was getting over the flu. I walked into the United Airlines terminal and nearly mistook it for the old newsreels of the 1929 stock market crash. There were people wildly roaming against each other, like blade-wielding hordes clashing during Roman times. The roar was defining. Ticket stubs and cab receipts flew about the area like ticker

tape. People looked shocked and confused. I even saw a grown woman weeping. This is what a Friday looks like at Terminal A around 7 a.m. I waited in line to check in. Big mistake. After 20 minutes I learned I was in the wrong line. “This one is for our elite members,” I was told. My next stop was clear across the open expanse of public angst and surly attitudes that I coined the “Regular Guy” kiosk. After 15 minutes, I was informed I didn’t need to check in my bags. “Go straight to the computers over there and check in”. E-tickets. Yes, I’ve heard of that. I was initially confused and sat there trying to figure out how to do this. It took me another few minutes to figure out where among the several email and text notifications my flight information was. I finally found it, retrieved it and applied it per the onscreen instructions. Finally! I did it. “YOU’RE FLIGHT IS NOW CLOSED TO BOARDING”. I’m not a drinker, but a Bloody Mary suddenly sounded convincingly pleasing and therapeutic. I got assigned to a later flight. Our federal friends working airport security are obviously not being paid for their congeniality. But I do think they can tone down the condescending shouting to keep the line moving. My bag was earmarked for inspection, further delaying my departure. I had to forfeit a container of Tres’ Eme hair mousse for the cause.

I thought the moment for that Bloody Mary had arrived, and with a terminal bar close to the gate, I marched there with purpose. I sat. And sat. And sat. My blood pressure started percolating as the bartender sat nearby reading his phone. Finally, I said, “Hey bud. We doing this?” It took him a few seconds to look up from the screen. He slowly walked over and pointed to one of those QR code stickers on the bar. Apparently, I was supposed to order by phone. My phone order then went to a printer where the bartender was tending to his texts. Hmmm. Wouldn’t it just be easier to just tell the dude I want a Bloody Mary? I left after spending $25 on a single drink. That’s a new one. Mind you, the flight was still two hours away. Once onboard, I found the seats more uncomfortable and binding than ever. Granted, my frame is rather buoyant and blobby. But it still felt tight. I googled “how are plane seats designed”, but I found scant info on why seats get that particular size and shape. My “seat mate” turned out to be a cool guy in his late 30s, a cable television installer and volunteer football coach. We exchanged cordial shallow banter while jockeying for the armrest during bathroom runs. HOMETOWN STAY I made it, and checked into my hotel after a spirited ride with Uber. Shared a great dinner with my oldest friend. Had a decent time at the

reunion, although 90 percent of my friends last seen 40 years ago are battling some iteration of cliched health problems. Hearing loss. Joint pain. A recent heart attack. When I saw my basketball teammate P.C., he forgot how he and I went to blows during warmups against Holy Name. Another, JT, has gone on to be a successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. He was always a great guy, and looked remarkably like Stewart Copeland of The Police. Then there was MK, who once rode his speeding bicycle into a parked car, shattering his lower jaw, requiring his mouth wired shut for six months. He’s the same. Lovable, but bent on self-destruction. The venue was crowded and hot. I left after an hour. Next night, a great crescendo. Dinner with my old crew. DA, an unapologetic liberal who is relatively quiet until the conversation turns to composting, environmentalism and grassroots activism. His brother JA, the calming soothing voice of reason. He’s also moderately shy, but for reasons I don’t question, he often insists on picking up the check. Then there’s FU, the jokester who embraces great story-telling humor, and physical hilarity. At a college party, he once unexpectedly announced, “I’ve got to let the cat out of the bag!” He then produced a brown grocery bag, opened it and released a stray cat he’d found outside. Had to be there. These guys are the ones

with whom I feel most comfortable, most happy and most secure. They are where the rubber meets the road. My flight home was uneventful, although I must express my deep gratitude to United Airlines for forcing me to sit through a collection of video ads on the video screen fastened to the seat in front of me. It consisted of three 30-second spots by United, Marriott Hotels, and Disney World. Yes, a 1-minute, 30-second continuous loop, all because I hadn’t paid for some stupid app. It was a 4-hour ordeal. I wasn’t able to even turn it off. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad I went. According to the data, only between 25 to 40 percent of graduates will show up for high school reunions. Harvard researchers have found that contact with old acquaintances actually advances personal happiness through an amalgamation of diverse personal relationships. Others advise avoiding your reunion with pride if you don’t feel that you’re attending in a “vendetta kind of mood.” I wasn’t clear about my own motives. It turns out, in my case, that didn’t apply. Glad I went. Won’t care if I ever see some of those bozos again. If I ever think differently, I’d probably need to wire my own jaw shut. Garay, a retired television news professional and longtime Fort Bend County resident, can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com

Retired Apollo physicist to speak at First Colony library on Nov. 18 Staff Reports Retired NASA physicist F. Don Cooper will share his experiences creating the technology that helped launch Apollo 11 in 1969, and the efforts that his team went through to successfully bring the Apollo 13 crew home safely in 1970 in a program titled “Apollo to the Moon & Back with F. Don Cooper,” at Fort Bend County Libraries’ First Colony Branch Library on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the library, 2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land. Cooper will also discuss the history of U.S. rockets, and his role in designing the Saturn V ascent guidance and trans-lunar targeting equations that would help make the lunar landing possible. An Oklahoma native, Cooper became fascinated with math and science while still in high school.

He attended Oklahoma Baptist University, where he majored in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry. His career after college took him to Huntsville, Ala., where he worked at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center on NASA’s Apollo program, developing the targeting equations to guide the manned spacecraft from earth orbit to the moon. His career then led him to Houston’s Johnson Spaceflight Center, which would later become known as the Johnson Space Center. During his years there, Cooper worked on eight Apollo missions, the Atlas Centaur, the Air Force Dyna-Soar, and the Mars rocket NOVA. For the Apollo 13 mission, he provided the trans-lunar coast abort options to Houston Mission Control. Cooper retired in 2002, and soon found a new calling – that of encouraging a new generation of stu-

ON NEXT PAGE Retired NASA physicist F. Don Cooper will discuss his work with the Apollo program during a presentation at the First Colony Branch Library on Nov. 18. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

dents to pursue a future in the physical sciences. He enjoys speaking to youth groups, community organizations, schools and colleges, hoping to inspire the technology leaders of the future with his firsthand account of the events as they actually happened. “Of the seven primary people who did this, I am the last one alive,” says Cooper. “Students do not know much about Apollo since it all happened before they were born. My objective is to show them how it happened, emphasize that education is essential, and show how math and physics solve real-world problems.” The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www. fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call the First Colony Branch Library (281-395-1311) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 • PAGE 7

Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to awilliams@txstreetmedia.com

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

ONGOING FORT BEND COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION

The Fort Bend County Historical Commission will hold its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at the Gus George Academy, 1521 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas at 3:00 PM. Justice Ken Wise, 14 th Court of Appeals, will be the guest speaker. To commemorate the founding of the Texas Rangers 200 years ago, Justice Wise will speak about the history of the Texas Rangers and the important law enforcement role they continue to serve. The meeting is free and open to the public.

AMERICAN LEGION POST 942

311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.

LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION

Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718 For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.

QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB

The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.

MUSIC MAGIC FOR 6 & 7 YEAR OLD BOYS STARTS OCTOBER 3

The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas is offering Music Magic, an 8-week music enrichment program for six and seven year old boys. The class meets from 6:30-7:15 p.m. on Tuesdays starting October 3, 2023 and ending on December 5, 2023. (They will not meet on Halloween or Thanksgiving week.) Music Magic brings music alive through the use of movement, musical games, singing and other child-centered activities. Boys learn about pitch matching and rhythm awareness in addition to developing large muscle coordination, increased focus and better musicianship. To find out more about Music Magic, visit: https:// fbbctx.org/our-programs/music-magic/.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths. All are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org

FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS

We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www.fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com

THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES

We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org

SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB

Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-850-2424, dean7351@gmail.com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.

14090 S.W. Freeway Suite #200

281-243-2344 (Direct) Sugar Land, TX 281.243.2300 (Main) • KenWoodPC.com

FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB

Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody! If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com

FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR

To join, the membership application can be accessed at https:// www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/. FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League. Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.

LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY

We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy.org

JAM WITH SAM

Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165 for further information.

GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE

Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving. Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events

DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED

Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195

EXCHANGE

EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires. For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!

ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264

Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information..

EXPERIENCE COUNTS! 35+ YEARS SERVING FORT BEND COUNTY

MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801

Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center. Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345.

T H E M O N T H LY

BUSINESS MAGAZINE Digital Version on Fortbendstar.com 713-371-3740 • AWILLIAMS@TXSTREETMEDIA .COM

Fort Bend Star

Have a Non Profit? Need to get it out there? Put here in our community calendar!

THE STAR

PAGE 8 • Wednesday, November 15, 2023

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Sienna Branch When it Library to host comes to local Indian dancing program on Nov. 18 advertising Staff Reports On Saturday, Nov. 18, beginning at 2 p.m., the Youth Services department at the Sienna Branch Library will host a special “Indian Dancing & Storytelling” workshop in the Meeting Room of the library, 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd in Missouri City. Attendees will experience an interactive demonstration of traditional Indian dance forms by Rathna Kumar, director of the Anjali Dance Theater. Classically trained in traditional Indian dance, Kumar gives hands-on, interactive instruction to members of the audience in the various aspects of Indian dance, along with a demonstration of her special artistic skills. Kumar is a teaching artist with Young Audiences of Houston. As an internationally renowned art educator and teaching artist, she shares her cultural heritage and the ancient art of Indian classical dance to audiences around the world. She has been recognized by the Miller Theater Advisory Board, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and UNESCO’s International Dance Council as a true cultural ambassador of Indian performing arts in the United States. The performance, which is made possible by a grant funded by YAH, is suitable for families with children of all ages. This event is free and open to the public. For

more information, see the F ort Bend County Libraries website (www. fortbend.lib.tx.us<http:// www.fortbend.lib.tx.us>)

or call the Sienna Branch Library (281-238-2900) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

& let us help boost your business! Call 713-371-3740 Rathna Kumar, director of the Anjali Dance Theater, will present an “Indian Dancing & Storytelling” workshop at the Sienna Branch Library on Nov. 18. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

to see how we can help freshen up your impact!

Expertise Matters When You Need

BACK AND NECK CARE

Specialists Serving Fort Bend County and Surrounding Areas

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If you suffer from back and neck pain, you have options when it comes to treatment. At Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land, we offer comprehensive spine care ranging from nonsurgical and minimally invasive options to highly complex spine surgery. Whether you are experiencing everyday discomfort or severe pain from a significant condition or injury, our spine specialists provide advanced, personalized care — so you can get back to your active life.

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To schedule an appointment, scan the QR code, visit houstonmethodist.org/neuro-sl or call 281.205.4662.

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